CA: Donna Warren former Green Party Candidate for Lt Govenor Impressed by Daniel Juarez, candidate for Mayor of Hawthorne responses to her question on 3 Stikes Law

For all who are interested in amending the 3 Strikes Law to violent felonies only so non-violent offenders will not spend the rest of their lives in prison at an average cost of $49,300 per person (money which is taken from schools and social services) you may be interested in Mr. Juarez's answers to my questions.  I was impressed by his answer to questions 2a.

 

If you live in Hawthorne, I strongly suggest you vote for Daniel Juarez.  The incumbent, Larry Guidi is a strong advocate for the 3 Strikes Law as it now stands, that is, prisons not schools.

 

Here's Mr. Juarez's answers:

 

Please answer my two questions.

1. The 3 Strikes Law has a dramatic effect on the California's budget, communities of color, families and the individual inmate himself/herself.  Can you tell me what you know about this effect in terms of finance, mental and physical distress? 

Yes, I support California’s “Three Strikes” law.  Although this law acts as a deterrent for some criminals, it also has been criticized as applying a one-size-fits-all sentence mentality to repeat offenders.  There are flaws with this law.  The law destroys the flexibility of the courts and the judge; is unjust in certain conditions (i.e. - victimless crimes, young criminals, etc.); criminals often plea bargain their first two convictions; violates the 8th Amendment to the Constitution; an arrest of someone with two convictions almost guarantees the cost and time of a trial; and the law adds more criminals to an already crowded and expensive prison system. 

2a. Are you in favor of amending the 3 Strikes Law to violent felonies only? 

I feel that California's Three-Strikes Law needs to be amended.  The law should be changed so that it only applies to violent and serious crimes. Minor offenders who steal a loaf of bread or a bottle of shampoo should not be given 25 to life sentences. As written, the Three-Strikes Law currently applies to nonviolent petty and violent crimes. 

If the law were changed, then the revision would do the following: return the law back to what the voters originally intended - a law to keep violent criminals in prison; require mandatory increased sentences only when convictions are for a violent felony such as rape, robbery or murder; preserve the original intent of the three-strikes law so that violent, dangerous criminals will continue to be punished harshly, with mandatory sentences of double-time for a second violent felony and 25 years-to-life for a third violent felony; be consistent with 26 other states (California's law is the only one that applies to non-violent crimes); allow prisoners now serving Three-Strikes sentences to apply for and receive a re-sentencing hearing.  As many as 35,000 could qualify for one because their offense would no longer count as a strike; save the State as much as 700 million dollars a year in prison operating costs, and more than a billion dollars for construction of new prisons.

2b. If elected, would you support an amendment of the law in the Hawthorne City Council?

As you know I am already a sitting councilmember.  As far as supporting an amendment of the law at a municipal level, I would need to check with our city attorney.  This issue needs to be carried to the state by our local state legislators.  As mayor, I would work in collaboration with our new assemblyman and state senator to author an amendment.

RWANDA: New Green party cries fowl over possible sabotage

By RNA Reporter

Thursday, 01 October 2009

Kigali: Officials of the newly formed Democratic Green Party of Rwanda were in disbelief Thursday evening after government officials informed them they will not be available Friday to notify some of their registration documents, RNA can reveal.

Interim party leader Frank Habineza told RNA the development means the delegates conference scheduled Friday may not take place because that is when the signatures of the 1000-plus delegates expected in Kigali were to be verified.

"The 'Notaire' rang me at 5pm informing me that he will not be available because he has not been granted permission to verify our signatures by the minister of Justice," said a visibly angry Habineza.

"When I called the minister of Justice, he told me the Notaire does not need his permission to conduct such a function. Now I dont know who to believe and what to do."

According to Mr. Habineza, he has already postponned the delegates conference for "three times", with every of the previous timetables, the Notaire claiming he is not in position to notify the party's nomination signatures. However, Mr. Habineza declined to name the Notaire in question, but the minister is Tharcisse Karugarama.

"We have made alot of losses financially because for example we called the delegates and diplomats last Sunday for the same function but we had to cancel it because there was no one to verify our documents," he said.

The new political party law requires that a government Notaire is present to verify all the signatures of those nominating a given party for registration before they are submitted to the Ministry of Local. The party needs at least 600 �verifiable signatures� from across the country to be able to register.

RNA was not able to get official response by press time.

Interim president Mr. Frank Habineza said last month that the party will �call for a delegates Congress in September, after which we shall deposit our dossier to [the Ministry of Local Government]. �Right now, we are recruiting members from all districts of Rwanda.�

Last Updated ( Friday, 02 October 2009 )

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AN OPEN LETTER FROM ELAINE BROWN: EMERGENCY MEDICAL TREATMENT FOR CHIP FITZGERALD

My dear friends,

Centinela State Prison is denying Chip Fitzgerald proper medical care! This is not only a violation of his human rights, but it is in blatant disregard of the federal court order that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation provide constitutionally adequate medical care to inmates—of which order the CDCR continues to be in violation.

As you know, Chip is the longest-held Black Panther Party political prisoner in the nation, having been convicted in 1969 for murder and other charges in connection with a shoot-out with police in Los Angeles. Although Chip was originally sentenced to death, the sentence was commuted, and he was eligible for parole 33 years ago. Denied parole 17 times, Chip has been wrongfully held in prison 40 years now.

The Committee to Free Chip Fitzgerald is putting out a call for support of our demand that Centinela immediately provide Chip the medical care he urgently needs.

Attached is a letter I am hoping you will print out and fax into the prison ASAP (fax number indicated at the top of the letter). If you are willing and able to do that, I thank you so much, and ask, also, that you either email a a copy of the signed letter to freechipfitzgerald@yahoo.com or send your name, address and other contact information to the same email address. We will then mail a copy of the signed or endorsed letter to each of the five secondary recipients indicated.

UPDATE: In September, we filed a habeas corpus petition in the Los Angeles Superior Court to overturn the 2008 wrongful parole board denial to Chip, and are waiting for a hearing.

Free Chip!

Elaine

Where's the Music

by Morning Sunday-Hettleman Since January, 8th, 2009, millions of words have been written about the political ascent of one black man, but there has been virtually nothing about the descent of black leadership into well-nigh total ineffectiveness. Rev Al Sharpton was photographed at his birthday party with a pair of 36DD’s resting on his arm, belonging to Wendy William’s, of radio and television "How you doing girl" fame. ( Her you tube video "boob trick " is a must see ! ) While Jesse Jackson isn't letting anything like a secret out-of-wedlock daughter and growing questions about his personal and organization funding get him down.Then, there's Kweisi Mfume, former congressman, who just a couple years ago had an illegitimate baby with a mistress about the same time as Jesse Jackson. In 1963, civil rights leaders, John Lewis Whitney Young, Jr., A. Philip Randolph, Martin Luther King, Jr., James Farmer, and Roy Wilkins met at the Hotel Commodore in New York City for a strategy session. A Philip Randolph, was a prominent twentieth-century African-American civil rights leader and the founder of both the March on Washington Movement and the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters. John Lewis , was chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and played a key role in the struggle to end segregation. Whitney Young, Jr., appointed executive director of the National Urban League in 1961, Young won an impressive reputation as a national black activist who helped bridge the gap between white political and business leaders and poor blacks and militants. James Farmer, a principal founder of the Congress of Racial Equality, Roy Wilkins, was an influential member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). They were young, effective and harbingers of change, working to wipe away some of the lunacy of our lives.( No, they were not perfect, they were human, there are stories, some really juicy ones too.) Providing the beat, the sound, the rhythm of the movement was James Brown, whose involvement with the civil rights movement also began in the mid-'60s. From 1965 onward, Brown often canceled his shows to perform benefit concerts for black political organizations like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). Since the 60"s, some Blacks have made giant economic, and social strides. But racial segregation remains and means that racial inequalities in employment, education, income, and wealth are inscribed in space. We have additional problems, the Black on Black crime rates are stratospheric. Unwed Black mothers , irresponsible fathers, severe parent to child violence. Blacks, 11% of the US population have the highest percentage of the population on welfare. Only 50 percent of black students graduate, young, male Blacks, make up half of the population imprisoned in America’s federal/state and city jails. People, these are self inflected wounds. What should we do ? March? We have had hundreds, thousands, millions marching in one day. Boycott ? Martin Luther Kings , bus boycott was successful, since then the only thing we have successfully boycotted are grapes and bananas. Is another political strategy session needed ? Must we plan strategic national boycotts ? Are Alex Jealous, Henry Louis Gates, Jermaine Wyrick, Dr. Howard Fuller, Dr James Jones, to name a few, the people we need to call to a strategy session ? Peter Bramble, Episcopal Priest, Brooklyn, NY ,and a conservative , advances the idea that blacks, in spite of history and society, need to take responsibility for their conditions. He argues for the need to install success concepts permitting blacks to talk and behave in a successful mood. In keeping with this idea of personal and collective accountability, Bill Cosby has for years been exhorting the black community to take personal responsibility, to stop blaming others, and to drop the negative influences from their lives while embracing the positive. Both Rev. Bramble and Bill Crosby would tell us, there is no need for new Black leaders, the ground work has been laid for the change we need, personally and as a community. " Its time we went from victims to victors" Says Bill Crosby, "responsibility for ourselves, our families, take that into our own hands " Have we "Overcome" as Peter Bramble suggests ? If so, where is the music, if we have " Overcome" can we still sing "We Shall Overcome" or do we need to sing a new song ? Morning Sunday Hettleman 410 946 9958 Monumental Greens